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CLARENCE CRANE
OH 1089
New Deal in Montana/ Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project
Montana Historical Society
Summary
TAPE I – SIDE A
0 to 5 minutes
Discusses early life and origins. Tells how met wife. Came to Fort Peck in 1934 with
friends, stripping of dam, driving truck. Rough living conditions. Couldn’t drink water.
He and friends decided to quit, returned to Dillon. Tells what did their, hauling coal.
Tells how got job as chauffer, driving truck, hauling crews. Tells what dredge man did.
Then promoted to heavy truck driver, 10- ton trucks, 1935- 40. Then went to Portland to
work for Bonneville Power Administration, driving line truck in construction of power
lines. Describes BPA job.
6 to 10 minutes
Tells when lost two civil service jobs because of veteran’s preference. Decided to join
armed services when U. S. entered WW- II. Enlisted in Seabees, Navy. Discusses years
in armed services. Remembers being interviewed by Naval personnel to determine what
skills he had they could use, they sent him to diesel school, remembers being given three
choices but sent somewhere else. Describes three- week training. Tells what did after this
training. After service, returned to BPA, tells what did. Became foreman, installation of
electrical equipment.
11 to 15 minutes
Had civil service job at Fort Peck. Describes stripping job at dam, preparation for dam.
Trucks and power shovels used. Drove truck from 1935- 40, hauling heavy equipment.
Roads were “ all gumbo.” No gravel. Cabs were covered with heaters. Hauled concrete.
Where lived, New Deal. Wife and he married, she had been teaching school at Glasgow.
Describes living conditions. Apartments. Then bought little house, 8 feet x 14 feet.

Interviewed by Rick Duncan on 1 Aug. 1987 in Fort Peck, Mont., as part of the repository's New Deal in Montana/Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project.; Topics include his stripping work on the dam and living conditions.; Resident of Fort Peck during the construction of Fort Peck Dam in the late 1930s.

CLARENCE CRANE
OH 1089
New Deal in Montana/ Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project
Montana Historical Society
Summary
TAPE I – SIDE A
0 to 5 minutes
Discusses early life and origins. Tells how met wife. Came to Fort Peck in 1934 with
friends, stripping of dam, driving truck. Rough living conditions. Couldn’t drink water.
He and friends decided to quit, returned to Dillon. Tells what did their, hauling coal.
Tells how got job as chauffer, driving truck, hauling crews. Tells what dredge man did.
Then promoted to heavy truck driver, 10- ton trucks, 1935- 40. Then went to Portland to
work for Bonneville Power Administration, driving line truck in construction of power
lines. Describes BPA job.
6 to 10 minutes
Tells when lost two civil service jobs because of veteran’s preference. Decided to join
armed services when U. S. entered WW- II. Enlisted in Seabees, Navy. Discusses years
in armed services. Remembers being interviewed by Naval personnel to determine what
skills he had they could use, they sent him to diesel school, remembers being given three
choices but sent somewhere else. Describes three- week training. Tells what did after this
training. After service, returned to BPA, tells what did. Became foreman, installation of
electrical equipment.
11 to 15 minutes
Had civil service job at Fort Peck. Describes stripping job at dam, preparation for dam.
Trucks and power shovels used. Drove truck from 1935- 40, hauling heavy equipment.
Roads were “ all gumbo.” No gravel. Cabs were covered with heaters. Hauled concrete.
Where lived, New Deal. Wife and he married, she had been teaching school at Glasgow.
Describes living conditions. Apartments. Then bought little house, 8 feet x 14 feet.